Custom Search Bar To Search ONLY Within A Specific Collection, And/Or Exclude Certain Collections?

Store Design

Topic summary

A store owner wants to create collection-specific search functionality: one search bar that only returns results from a particular collection (e.g., “Used T-Shirts”), and another that excludes that collection from general searches.

Current Limitations:

  • Shopify’s native theme functionality doesn’t support collection-scoped search out of the box
  • Custom code implementation is possible but requires coding experience

Suggested Solutions:

  • Modify search to filter by product type instead of collection (requires custom code)
  • Install third-party apps that provide this functionality:
    • Searchanise
    • Smart Search
    • Ultimate Search and Filter (supports collection-based exclusion rules via merchandising settings)
    • Rapid Search (noted for ease of use without coding)

The consensus is that app-based solutions are more practical for users without coding experience, offering collection filtering and exclusion capabilities through simple configuration rather than custom development.

Summarized with AI on October 24. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello,

I’m trying to separate certain products either by collection or by tags, so that I can have search bars for different products.

I’m trying to have a search bar that ONLY searches within a group of specific products, and would not return any products that aren’t within a specific collection or have a specific tag.

Then I might like to have another search bar that EXCLUDES a collection of products, so those don’t get mingled into a general search.

For example: A collection of Used T-Shirts in a general clothing store. If a user navigates to the Used T-Shirts page and performs a search, I’d only want search results within that Used T-Shirts collection (and not include any items in the general collection).

Similarly, if someone is browsing the general listing of clothes and performs a search, I’d like that to EXCLUDE anything in the Used T-Shirts section.

Does anyone know if this is easily achieved, through custom code in the Search Form? Or any other way?

Thank you!!

Gene

1 Like
2

Hi @gs3 ,

Currently, Shopify theme does not support this. You can change to search by type instead of collection, it will be almost what you want. Refer https://themes.shopify.com/themes/warehouse/styles/metal?price%5B%5D=paid&surface_inter_position=1&surface_intra_position=13&surface_type=all

Refer code:

But it will require you to have coding experience, for newbies I recommend you to install the app:

https://apps.shopify.com/searchanise or https://apps.shopify.com/search?q=Smart%20Search

Hope it helps!

3

It’s totally possible to show the search bar for just some collections and exclude some products from your collections based on rules using this app https://apps.shopify.com/ultimate-search-and-filter-1.

You can create rules to exclude products from specific collections by going to Collections => Merchandising rules. To show the search bar for specific collection, ask the team in Live chat.

4

What finally made my life easier was using an app. I ended up with Rapid Search (rapidsearch.app), and the reason I’ve stuck with it is just easier. I liked that I didn’t have to mess with code. Just a couple clicks and it worked.